


Field Notes

by PeepMeep



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Mermaids, mermaid au, technically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-10-08 02:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17378168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeepMeep/pseuds/PeepMeep
Summary: Sometimes your major makes you go out and look at wildlife u knoInspired by @FluffalArt's own mermaid au





	Field Notes

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Original art](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/448316) by @FluffalArt. 



> Now we got gay fish going too. Have ideas to take this places as well as "places." But have some commission work for the immediate future, have this piece I did to get back into the swing of things.
> 
> If you wanna check out the art that inspired this than go [here](https://twitter.com/FluffalArt/status/1083127706890444806?s=09)!

It was early morning, low tide. The peeps ran on stilted legs as waves rolled tirelessly onto the sands. Not the right time of year to draw birders, just a sole student.

Yusei looked at his field notes again, hastily scribbled during the professor’s office hours. His poor handwriting was illegible even to him; he’d have to use his just as poor memory to guide him to the tide pools. 

The beach only went in two directions, so he’d find it at some point, he supposed.

He picked north and followed the shore. The quiet morning lead hm to thinking about his latest project. Everyone in the class was to find a “rich environment” and identify as many species of sea life as possible (bonus points for minerals, he’d take some pictures and ask Crow for help with it). From past assignments it was clear that students typically went only 30 minutes or so from campus for these fieldwork projects, but Yusei wanted to go where he wouldn’t run into any classmates. 

This beach was several hours away and was only frequented by other naturalists. Perfect.

The sound of waves on rocks drew his attention. There was an outcropping cutting across the beach and into the sea. Yusei pulled out his map and figured it must be a cove; for the umpteenth time he was glad that marine biology didn’t require you to navigate without a gps when you were really out in the field.

The natural barrier sloped down into the ocean. He watched as the waves went in and out, revealing a part he could jump or climb over. Yusei put his tools away, making sure nothing too important would get ruined from the water. He watched the tide a few more times before deciding on his plan.

His first step made him almost slip and fall, now the timing was off. He decided not to think about it as he ran to the rocks and began to climb, wet stones digging into his palms. It wasn’t going as well as he thought it would and the water was rising fast.

“Fuck.” He was high enough that the water only touched the bottoms of his boots, letting him pause to catch his breath. His arms would be sore and his hands hurt but he would have to wait for the tide to go back out, at least. Might as well take advantage of the spot.

He scanned the beach. There were plenty of big flattish rocks that were indicative of tide pools. They weren’t the ones he was looking for but he’d probably find the same animals as if he were farther down the beach. There were a few shorebirds stalking the pools in search of breakfast. 

Something spooked a great blue heron, causing it to fly much further down the beach, but the other birds didn’t seem to mind. Which was...odd. They were the only dangerous predators here and if something had surprised the bird it would have only recoiled, not fly off.

Yusei was intrigued. Maybe there was a shark! Or some mammal decided to compete with the birds for a change. It would be something out of the ordinary, at least; his professor for sure would be impressed.

He resettled himself onto the rocks, sitting very uncomfortably but mostly stable. Fishing out his binoculars--nothing fancy, basic enough to get the job done for his line of work--he tried to find the spot where he thought the bird was. Now he realized the angle before was poor and he wasn’t very sure of where he should be looking. But something had moved and he just had to look for that again. 

Nothing was immediately clear, so no coyote or feral dog. Again the waves crashed against the rocks, the only movement in sight.

“Hold on.” That shape was  _ too  _ smooth to be a rock and much too pale. It was laying on the rock and continued into the water. The longer he looked the more he realized that it had to be something organic.

And it was moving.

Not a lot, but it was alive. Immediately he thought of beached whales, no, it had to be a dolphin, it was much too small to be a whale, but still something that would need help.

Yusei jumped down onto the sand, realizing too late that he might be too loud and scare it. Dolphin rescue had never been part of the curriculum but he knew enough that it was probably scared and he should be careful.

He walked in the waves, letting the waves hide the sounds he was making. Next steps were racing through his mind. He should probably call someone, but who? His professor? He should probably keep it wet but he only had the clothes he was wearing. He might be strong enough to push it back in if things weren’t too bad.

There was one last pile of rocks in between them. He took a moment to quell his nerves, in case things were really bad. Animals suffering was always upsetting.

But he was probably the only person who’d go this way for hours, he had to do something. He crept around the rocks, not wanting to scare it or the birds.

There was definitely a large animal, a mammal, but that was all there was in common with a cetacean. Long blonde hair swept across the creatures back. Fins, fish like, were on its flanks, a beautiful shade of violet. The back half was a very light grey and the front half was unbelievable.

That was a fucking mermaid. That was a human face, serene as it rested on its arms, napping on the rocks. This was not someone in some sort of swimsuit or costume, those were functioning gills on its neck. 

No one would believe this, Yusei couldn’t believe it. And his phone was nothing better than a burner, it took the most miserable pictures. 

That’s right! He had his field journal with him, take plenty of notes, make sure to rewrite them legibly while the memory was still fresh. He didn’t want to take his eyes off it in case it disappeared but he needed to write  _ something  _ down with his shaky hands. The formal style of reports he was used to reading escaped him and he used whatever words came to him. 

Once more a bird approached the mermaid, ignoring it as it poked its long beak into the pools of water. Whatever it was about that activity stirred the creature awake. It cracked an eye open and shooed off the bird with it’s arm; Yusei looked up in time to catch it.

Their eyes met and they were both still. This wasn’t a predator or an animal, this was an intelligence so alien from his own with their vastly different worlds. They both knew they had been caught. It was the mermaid that moved first.

Using its arms it pushed itself back into the water. 

“Wait!” But Yusei was too slow, it was already gone. He scanned the water for just one more look, but the waves distorted too much and he couldn’t make anything out. He waited, as if it would crest the waves like a dolphin or break the surface to look back, as if this were a movie, but there was no such luck. It took Yusei some time to come back to the present, waves lapping at his legs and birds calling behind him.

He didn’t know how to feel, but for now he only felt empty.

 

_ 1-9 _

_ 4:52 AM _

_ -smooth scales? skin? _

_ -no dorsal fin _

_ -pelvic fin fishy???? _

_ -blonde _

_ -braids? fingers maybe _

_ -normal mermaid top half _

_ -gills on neck? breathing fine _

_ -arms, hands? fingers?  _

_ -sleeping on land _

_ -good sight on land _

_ -decent arm strength _

_ -doesn’t breach surface to breathe maybe good lungs _

_ -no others around. are they solitary? _

**Author's Note:**

> This can also be a jjba crossover if you want the professor to be Jotaro.
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/chasestarb)! You can find info about my works in other places and not fanfics [on my website](http://www.chasej.xyz/commission-information/). If you'd like to contact me you can use Twitter or you can find my email and other info on my website.  
> 


End file.
